Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles is the epitome of California chic. And that's exactly where our Mission Makeover team planted themselves in hopes of finding their next transformation.

Enter Suzi. Wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and white cardigan, the cool mom was far from looking the Melrose part.

The team's challenge: take her from carefree and casual to sophisticated and stylish.



Makeup artist and hairstylist Roberta Inez smoothed Suzi's skin with an illuminating foundation to give her a youthful, radiant glow and touched up the eye area with concealer.

Using a brown powder and an eyebrow brush, she sharpened and lengthened Suzi's eyebrows. (Makeup tip: elongating the brows, so they end near the outer corner of the eyes, instantly makes you look more youthful.) Next, she dusted the lids with a dark gray shadow and used a blending brush to create a smoky eye effect. She used the same shadow as an eyeliner, applying it with a liner brush along the lower lash lines. After curling her lashes, she applied two coats of black mascara.

Inez dusted bronzer just below Suzi's cheekbones to create a soft contour. She also dabbed it to the apples of her cheeks to make them pop. One her lips, she slicked a soft pink gloss. When wearing a smoldering eye, remember to keep the lip neutral.


Suzi's carefree blonde hair was hiding her face. Between her heavy bangs and lack of layers, she looked boxed in. Inez lightened her fringe and added definition and depth with a few strategic layers. She blow dried her strands straight and set the hair in large pin curls. After flat ironing the bangs, she removed the pin curls, boosting her locks with a soft bounce at the ends.

Stylist Jordan Feldman dressed Suzi in a classic, yet sexy black dress. The scooped neckline, fitted bodice, and above-the-knee hemline gave the sheath its sultry edge. Black heels and a gold link necklace polished off the look.

The final result: Melrose ready.

For more stylish makeovers for every body type, check out our My Body My Style series.

Mission Makeover: From Pretty Plain to Pretty Chic originally appeared on StyleList on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments